Uilisi Halaholo- What a Lad

Uilisi Halaholo- What a Lad

From What a Lad by Presented by Betcha

August 19, 2026 · 1h 42m · Season 7 · Episode 334

About this episode

Uilisi Halaholo shares his journey from a troubled youth to a successful rugby player representing Wales.

Uilisi Halaholo has a story so good it was one of the reasons I started this podcast. A naturally gifted player from a young age, who was heading down the wrong path to make the most of his talent. Caught up in the wrong lifestyle, drinking and getting into trouble on a regular basis. A turning point came when he became a young father ultimately forced him to change direction. He put down the bottle, transformed himself physically and decided to give rugby a genuine crack. That decision started a journey that would take him from fighting for an opportunity with the Southland Stags, to the Hurricanes, winning a Super Rugby title, moving across the world to Cardiff and eventually representing Wales. But reaching the top didn't mean the challenges stopped. Willis opens up about the criticism he received for representing Wales, devastating injuries, missing the opportunity to play against the All Blacks, losing a close family member, financial uncertainty and one of the darkest periods of his career. Some parts that stood out for me in this episode were… What his life as a teenager was like! Why having his daughter changed his mindset. Why the move to Southland was the best thing for…

People in this episode

Guest: Uilisi Halaholo

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hurricanes, Southland Stags, Cardiff

Places: Wales

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